This invention relates to a boot construction, especially for ice skates or in-line roller skates, but not necessarily limited to same.
In skate boots, there are somewhat conflicting requirements for rigidity and comfort which, particularly in recent years, have led to increasingly sophisticated boot constructions in the perhaps never-ending quest for the "perfect" skate. In high-end skates such as those worn by professional hockey players, the twin requirements of rigidity and comfort are magnified. Performance must be optimized, and frequent wearing demands comfort, not just for the sake of comfort itself, but also to prevent blistering or other forms of injury to the foot (short term or long term).
One means which has been used in skates to increase rigidity is to employ plastic ankle inserts and heel counter inserts, sewn in between the layers of various materials which make up the boot. When skates are relatively new, this is fairly effective both in terms of rigidity and comfort. After considerable use of the skate, however, the leather and other materials naturally soften and become less rigid from repeated flexing, with the result that the upper ankle portion of the boot tends to slump down onto or over the heel counter, typically creating a ridge on the inside of the skate. This ridge bears against the Achilles' tendon, and thus creates a pressure point which results in decreased comfort and potential for blistering or other injury. The present invention is aimed specifically at avoiding that problem, and generally at providing an improved skate boot.